Ergativity in Pari, a nilotic OVS language

Abstract

Ergativity is not totally absent among the languages of Africa. Ergative characteristics are thus found in some Western Nilotic languages, e.g. in Päri. In independent indicative clauses without constituent focus, this language treats an intransitive subject (S) like an object (O) rather than like a transitive subject (A). Thus, both S and O have the absolutive case, precede the verb, cannot be cross-referenced on the verb, and can have zero manifestation, while A has the ergative case, follows the verb, can be cross-referenced on the verb, and cannot have zero manifestation. Consequently, Päri is also a language of the rare OVA (or ‘OVS’) type. The ergative characteristics are also present in clauses with derived verb stems that involve a change in valency, such as antipassive stems and benefactive stems. Independent clauses with constituent focus, on the other hand, lack some of the ergative characteristics. Other clause types, such as imperative clauses and subordinate clauses, exhibit extended ergativity and are basically verb-initial. Diachronically, however, as revealed by a comparison with genetically related languages, the extended ergativity does not reflect an extension of the use of the ergative case. Rather, the ergative case was originally a marked nominative case, which became ergative through a change in constituent order from VAO/VS to OVA/SV.